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Boys and buttons. Robert Bowling's development studio Robotoki was recently 'raided' by LAPD officers after an employee triggered the newly installed panic alarm, which led to a rather one-sided stand-off.

Fortunately no shots were fired, and so the life-like statue of Modern Warfare 2's Simon 'Ghost' Riley won't be serving time. Police 'were laughing' about it, said Bowling, as they exited.

An unnamed employee basically did what any hot-blooded male would do when confronted with a button they had no idea what it was connected to - they pushed it.

"Our studio is equipped with a 'panic' alarm in case of an armed threat, which was installed yesterday," Bowling told Polygon. "One of our designers, who shall not be shamed, pressed it on his way out because apparently when boys find buttons that they are unsure of, their first instinct is to push it."

"I was in my office when they arrived and saw them coming up our stairs, guns drawn," Bowling recalled. "They yelled for me to put my hands up and walk towards them slowly, then took me into custody and out of the studio until they cleared the rest of the rooms and floors."

Police swept the offices, which led to the steely eyed confrontation with 'Ghost', who stood unimpressed with LAPD's armoured response. Gratefully the LAPD "chalked it up as a mistake, a miscommunication or misdirected prank", reported Polygon, and so won't be issuing a fine.

"The LAPD just stormed @robotoki with guns drawn and detained me as they cleared the building. I blame GHOST," tweeted Bowling. He also posted a shot of the Ghost statue in question. It might be an idea to put Ghost in the lobby area so as to deter would-be armed attackers as it sure spooked the LAPD. Who needs buttons when you've got Ghost?